morgan



(No Model.) 2 sheenssheen 1.

C. B. MORGAN.

LIFE PRESERVER. l

No. 871,781. /QMHM 001;; 18, 18877.-

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WITNBSSBS: 4 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N, PETERS Phumumngmpher, wasmngm. u. c

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

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C. B. MORGAN.

LIFE .PRBsERVl-m WITNESSBS:

. INVENTOR 2v a BY Si! .Y

E' ATTORNEYS.

'N. PETERS; Pnmmumgmplwr, wnhingmn. o. c.

Nrrn @rares CHARLES B. MORGAN, OF UNCOMPAHGRE, COLORADO.

LlFEPRESERVER.

SPBCFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,781, dated October18, 1857.

Application filed Man l1 25, i867.

To all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that l', CHARLES B. MORGAN, of Uncompahgre, in the county ofMontrose and State of Colorado, have invented anew and ImprovedLife-Prescrver, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in l life-preservers, and has forits object to provide a device capable of being quickly applied to theperson, and which, when worn, will not impede the progress of a swimmer,and which will support a person ignorant of the art of swimming upon thesurface of the water. The object of the invention is also to provide ameans of iniiating the device when in the water and the application ofan air-pump in connection with the device.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement ofthe variousparts, as will be hereinafter fully setforth, and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specilication, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figures l and 2 are respectively front and rear views of thelife-preserver, illustrating ils application to the person; and Fig. 8is a central longitudinal section through the pump employed to supplyair thereto. Fig. L is a `front elevation ot' said pump, and Fig. 5 is asection through line sr x of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of thesaid pump. Fig.- 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through the deviceemployed to inflate the preserver from the lungs, and Fig. 8 is a sideelevationn thereof.

In carrying out the object of the invention the life-preserver isconstructed of any suit able water-proof material, preferably rubber,and in virtually two sections, A and A', each section being made in theform of oblong bags adapted to extend vertically each side of the breastand back, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the opposite front and rear bags, aa', being respectively united by an integral bag, B, adapted to extendover the shoulders, and having the inner edges, b, curved for adjustmentto the neck.

The interiors of the sections A and A are united in the back at the topby an incased Serial No. 232.3%. (No model.)

tube, C, as shown in Fig. 2, and they are further united exteriorly bytwo or more, pref. erabl y two, bands, D D', of the same material, whichbandsare attached to the inner face of the front and rear bags, a, a',the one near the bottom and the other adistance below the arm'- pits.

The bands D D are adapted to encompass the body, one end terminating atthe front in an apertnred strap, d, and the other having secured theretoa buckle, d', adapted to receive said strap. By means of these strapsand buckles a quick and ready fastening for thc preserver upon the bodyis obtained. A third and upper similar fastening, d, is provided tounite the two sections at the throat lt will be seen from the abovedescription that when the preserver is inflated the air is confinedvertically parallel with the body of the wearer, and therefore does notact as an impediment in swimming, as is the case with preservers wornhorizontally the body, which oli'er great resistance to the water.Again, it will be observed that the prcserver is substantially in onepiece,whilein reality in two equal sections, thereby enabling a personto quickly apply the same, and that i'rom its peculiar shape the'devicemaybe conveniently worn under a coat.

The life-preserver above described is provided with two distinct mcansof inliation first, through the medium of an. air-pump, E, and,secondly, through the medium ot'a mouthpiece, F, either of which may beoperated while in the water by turning and iloating upon the back, thearms beingfree, as no portion of the inflated sections passes beneath orover them.

The pump E is preferably located over or above the right breast, andconsists of an annnlar centrally-apertured plate, E, provided with atubular threaded central projection, e, integral with one side, and aconical. projection, e', surrounding the aperture therein, integral withthe opposite side. Upon the face of the plate E having the said conicalprojection a cage, El, is supported, having a circular end plate, e2,and within saidlcage a spiral or coiled spring, h, is held, bearingrespectively against the end plate, ez, and an annular washer, e3, whichwasher nds a seat IOO upon the conical projection e. One end of thespring is made fast to the end plate, c2, and the other end, extendingthrough the washer, is secured to a suitable valve, 7L', sliding in thetubular projection e, which valve is supplied with aligning ports h2.

A suitable opening is made in the outer surface of the front bag, a, toad mit the tubular projection e, and a washer, h, is entered over thesaid tubular projection to a bearing uponfhe said surface of' the bag. Alock-nut, 7c, is then screwed upon the'threaded projectlon e to abearing upon said washer h3. Prior, however, to bringing the plate E andwasher h3 together one end of a suitable bellows, H, is made tointervene the said plate and washer. Therefore, when thelock-nutk isscrewed up tight,the bellows and surface of the bag a are completelysealed.

The outer end ef the bellows H is made larger than the inner end, and issecurely held between two annular plates, H', re-enforced by a ring, H2,the said ring and plates being fastened by suitable bolts or rivets, soas to make a perfectly air-tight joint.

The plates H are apertured centrally and a thilnble, K, fitted in saidaperture, against the under side of which thimble a cushion, K', is madeto bear and to close the aperture, the said cushion being attached to ahorizontal spring-stem, K2. Thus by working the bellowsH air is drawninto the same and pumped from thence into the bags a a', as will bereadily seen by reference to Fig. 3. Vhen the bellows isnot in use,itmay be secured by a strap and buckle, O, in close contact with thepreserver, as shown in Fig. l.

By means ofa tube,f, connected with the bag al, preferably at the front,and a mouth-piece, F, the preserver may be inflated from the lungs. Thusan extra means of inflation is always at hand should one become damaged.

The mouth-piece F may be of ordinary construction, but is preferablyformed as shown in Fig. 7, in which the inclosed and threaded nipple f sprovided with aligning end apertures,f2, over which the mouthpieceproper, f3, is screwed. Vhen the said mouth-piece is screwed outward,lasshown in dotted lines, Fig. 7,air may be forced into the bags throughthe nipplef, and when said mouthpiece is screwed down to a seat upon thenipple the vent is thoroughly closed.

Having thus fully described my invention, WhatI claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isq

1. A life-preserver composed of two independent inflated sections unitedat the back only by a horizontal tube,one section providedv with anair-pump and the other section provided with a mouth-piece, whereby theentire preserver may be inflated either from the pump or mouth-piece, asset forth.

2. A lifepreserver composed of' two independent inated sections unitedat the back only by a horizontal tube, each section adapted to extendvertically of the body and across the shoulders, and retained inposition upon the person by horizontal bands attached to each sectionand united in front by a buckle, substantially as shown and described,and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. A life-preserver constructed of two independent inflated sectionsunited at the back only by a horizontal tube,each section adapted toextend vertically of the body front and rear and horizontally across theshoulder, and retained in position upon the person by horizontal bandsattached to each section, united in front by buckles, the one sectionprovided with an air-pump, the other with a tube for inflation fromthelungs,substantiall y as shown and described, whereby the entirepreserver may-be inflated from either pump or mouthpiece, as setforth.

4. The combination, with the united sections a a', adapted to extendvertically of the body and across the shoulders, provided with arearconnecting-tube, C, and a series of attached horizontal bands, D,provided withV buckles d', and an upper strap and buckle, d d', of anair-pump attached to the said sec, tions a near the shoulder, a strap,O, for retaining said pump in a closed position, and a mouthpiece, F,attached to the section a', substantially as shown and described,whereby the entire preserver may be inflated by either the pump ormouth-piece either in or out of the water, as set forth.

5. The combination, with a life-preserver constructed substantially asherein shown and described, of an air-pump, E, attached thereto near theshoulder, consisting of the plate E', carrying a valve, It', andsupporting a cage, E, a spring, h, held withoutsaid cage and actuatingsaid valve, a bellows, H, and an outer centrally-apertured plate, H',together with a spring-actuated cushion, K, adapted to cover saidcentral aperture, located within the said bellows, substantially asshown and described, and for the purposes herein set fort-h.

CHARLES. B. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

J AMns A. FENLoN, F. W. CLARKE.

IOO

